Jing
by CaptainKomaCute
Summary: A new panda comes to the Valley of Peace to challenge the Dragon Warrior...
1. Chapter 1

Okay, everybody, here's a new story. Hope you enjoy it.

Chapter One—The Traveler

Jing stepped through the village in the Valley of Peace, adjusting his wide, straw hat every few minutes to keep it centered on his head. So, this was the place? This was the place that had witnessed the demise of Tai Lung? This was the place where the Furious Five trained and defended the people?

This was the place where the Dragon Warrior—all Jing really knew about him was his name, Po—was chosen by the deceased master, Oogway?

Somehow, Jing had expected something different. It was peaceful, just as he had guessed the Valley of Peace would be, but where was the Dragon Warrior? Jing wanted to meet him, to test him. Surely, if the legendary warrior had defeated Tai Lung, then Jing could learn much from meeting him.

Jing's stomach growled lowly and he stopped. It had been a while since he had eaten. He looked around him and quickly spotted a noodle shop; Mr. Ping's. Curious and hungry, Jing walked over to the shop and sat at an empty table. As he did so, other patrons—some of which with half-chewed food in their mouths—stared at him in curiosity. He wasn't surprised by it. Since the selection of the Dragon Warrior, many pandas received strange looks. Jing had wondered why, but the answer will come to him when he meets Po.

"Good afternoon," said a chipper voice and Jing looked down at a goose in an apron, wearing a hat shaped like noodles. "What can I get you, sir?"

"Just a simple bowl of noodles," Jing replied, refusing the menu when the goose had offered it.

"Very good, sir. It'll be right out."

The goose shuffled away and Jing exhaled sharply. Impatiently, he tapped the table with his fingers.

Somebody else soon entered the shop; a female tiger and a male monkey. They were deep in their conversation, but they had quickly drawn Jing's attention. The way they walked, the way the carried themselves... These were no ordinary patrons. They had some class.

"...was difficult," the monkey was saying as he got in range of Jing's hearing. "I mean, even you had trouble against Po, Tigress."

At the mention of Po, Jing listened even more carefully.

"I didn't have trouble," Tigress replied. "I just went easy on him."

"You say that every time he beats you in a sparring match," Monkey laughed. They sat at a table, and the goose from earlier, Mr. Ping, hurried over to them.

"Ah, good afternoon. How's your day?" he asked, a new kind of perkiness to his voice.

"Tiring, but nothing we can't handle," Tigress replied in a detached tone.

"How's Po?" Mr. Ping questioned. "Is he doing well?"

"Just fine," Monkey answered. "He actually wanted to come down for some noodles, but Shifu wants him to do a bit more training beforehand."

"Ah, he _is_ the Dragon Warrior."

"Pardon me," Jing said, standing and walking over to them. "I could not help but overhear your conversation. I take it that each of you knows the Dragon Warrior?"

Tigress analyzed him carefully, but Mr. Ping spoke with true pride.

"Of course they do. And so do I. He's my son," Mr. Ping chimed.

"I'm Monkey and this is Tigress. We're from the Furious Five," Monkey explained kindly, holding out his hand.

"Can you take me to meet the Dragon Warrior?" Jing asked excitedly. "I'd like to speak to him."  
"I'm sorry, but we aren't allowed to bring random outsiders to the Jade Palace," Tigress told him in such cold indifference that Jing felt a surge of hatred, directed—it felt—towards him. "He'll be out of the Jade Palace soon. You can meet him when he talks with the townspeople."

"I must speak with him now," Jing insisted. "Please."

"Why is it so important to you?" Monkey questioned. He looked over him carefully. "Do you practice Kung Fu?"

Jing nodded. "I do. I'd like the chance to test my mettle against the Dragon Warrior."

"It's below the Dragon Warrior to accept random challenges from random travlers," Tigress stated.

"Then what about the Furious Five?" Jing asked. He flexed his knees, taking an offensive stance. Without a moment's hesitation, Tigress and Monkey took their stances, ready to defend themselves. They stood there, watching each other carefully for any signs of movement, any signs of an attack.

"You don't want to do this," Tigress warned. "This will turn out badly for you."

"Humor me," Jing stated and he made his first strike, a lunge at Tigress which was quickly and skillfully blocked and reversed; Tigress twisted Jing's arm and heaved, lifting the panda off his feet in an attempt to throw him on his back. Yet Jing quickly reoriented himself, landing smoothly on his feet and attempting to use the same move on Tigress; Monkey moved in hurriedly, striking Jing in the stomach and forcing him backward.

They stood once more in a standoff, watching each other carefully. Once again, Jing made the first move, this time taking to the air. He struck downward at Tigress with his fist. Tigress dodged and Monkey attempted to strike when Jing had unintentionally stuck his fist into the stone ground. Hurriedly, before Monkey could get his strike in, Jing hurriedly flipped himself over, his foot skimming Monkey's jaw and allowing Jing to stand upright, wrenching his fist free of the stone.

Tigress was not waiting for Jing to steady himself; she struck with amazing accuracy, and Jing had narrowly managed to move to avoid a severe injury. Tigress's fist met Jing's left arm, and he hurriedly back away from the pair. He had to admit that they were skilled—he had expected as much from the Furious Five, but their skills superseded his expectations. Perhaps he was simply taking it too easy on them.

"Master Shifu has taught you remarkably well, but it's not over yet."

"Face it," Tigress growled. "You can't win." She charged once more and Jing found himself dodging and blocking her blows, patiently awaiting his proper chance. He struck at Tigress's arm—once at the elbow and once at the shoulder—and hurriedly backed away. Tigress made another attempt to strike, but noticed it immediately; her left arm had become paralyzed. She growled. "A nerve attack..."

"Sorry, but you didn't leave me much choice," Jing sighed. "You're still able to fight, aren't you? One arm does not defeat a Kung Fu master."

Monkey dashed forward and Jing hurriedly flipped, airborne to allow Monkey rush beneath him. Extending his arm, Jing struck Monkey's arm twice—at the elbow and shoulder. Like Tigress, Monkey's limb had gone limp and he rushed over to stand by Tigress.

"I don't want to fight, you two," Jing huffed. "I want to fight the Dragon Warrior."

_"Oh, yeah? Well here I am."_

The voice came from behind Jing. His fur stood on end at the sound and he hurriedly turned, to see a black-and-white panda standing behind him, angry and ready to fight. Jing grinned. He could tell that there was something different about this panda. Undoubtedly, this was the Dragon Warrior.

"Po..."

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Okay, everybody, here's the first chapter of the new story. Enjoy and let me know what you think.


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, everybody; here's Chapter two. Enjoy.

Chapter Two—The Fan

The sight of Po made Jing's jaw drop almost immediately, despite the fact that Po looked angrier than anybody Jing had ever seen. Absentmindedly, he reached up and began to fiddle with the collar of his blue shirt.

"Y-you're... You're the Dragon Warrior..." Jing gasped, fidgeting with his fingers nervously.

"I am, and you're messing with my friends," Po snarled. "Who are you anyway?"

Faster than anybody could've imagined, Jing had rushed over grabbing Po's hand and shaking it emphatically. "It's... It's really nice to meet you, Mr. Dragon Warrior! I'm Jing! I'm your biggest fan and—"

"O...K..." Po muttered, pulling his hand away from Jing's. At first, Jing thought that he had made Po nervous, but the awkwardness evaporated within a few seconds. "Although, I can't blame you for being a fan. I am awesome." Anger returned just as fast as the awkwardness had vanished. "But why are you fighting with my friends?"

"Well, I asked them to take me to meet you at the Jade Palace, but they said no and one thing let to another and... Have I mentioned how awesome it is to meet you?!"

"Yes, you did, but even if you are my fan, you can't just mess with my friends," Po said.

"Well, Mr. Dragon Warrior, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to... fight you."

"Fight me?" Po echoed.

"Yeah, I mean, you defeated Tai Lung, and... I just want to see your skills for myself, sir," Jing answered.

Po looked up at Tigress and Monkey, who seemed just as shocked by Jing's insistent behavior as he was; it was a complete turn-around from how he had been before. Without warning, Jing made a move and, with almost no real effort, Po caught his wrist.

"Whoa, calm down. I didn't agree to a random fight."

Jing nodded and took a deep breath, but in the same moment, he brought his leg up in an attempt to kick Po in the side. Po pushed Jing backwards, frowning.

"I said calm down. Why are you so eager?"

"You're the _Dragon Warrior_!" Jing answered giddily. "Not many people can say that they've fought _the_ Dragon Warrior."

"Well, even still. You shouldn't pick a fight you can't win, kid."

"Oh, sorry, sir. My name's Jing." Jing gave a humble bow.

"Where are you from?" Po inquired.

Jing shrugged. "It's a pretty far place. Took me a few months to get here."

"Months? How far? And you came all this way just to fight with me? Seems kind of..."

"Awesome?" Jing hoped.

"Obsessive," Tigress stated.

"Impulsive," Monkey added.

"Creepy," Po finished.

"Sorry, I don't want to creep you out, but—I was just wondering... Could you possibly take me to the Jade Palace? I'd love to see where the Dragon Warrior lives."

"Wait, pull it back," Po replied. "First, you fight Tigress and Monkey, then you challenge me, and now you want to go to the Jade Palace? What's going on?"

"I'm just really excited," Jing replied. "And... and..."

"Breathe, kid," Po told him. "Now, what exactly are you here to do?"

"Well, I'd really like to test myself by fighting you," Jing explained. "Or even Master Shifu at the Jade Palace."

"We can't just take you back to the palace," Tigress said.

"Well, Master Shifu might be interested in meeting a kid with an interest in Kung Fu," Monkey admitted.

"Well, I don't know about fighting for the sake of fighting, but as far as the Jade Palace goes... I suppose we can give you a tour," Po stated. "If Shifu says anything, I can cover."

"You can?" Jing asked happily.

"Yeah, no problem," Po replied, "as long as you don't cause anymore trouble. By the way, my name's Po."

"Yeah, I know. I'm Jing," Jing said.

"Nice to meet you, Jing," Po said, holding out his hand. They shook hands and Po began walking away. Tigress and Monkey hurried along to catch up, and Jing moved closer to Po when he noticed the look of anger Tigress had—if looks could kill, Po would be dead.

"You can't just do that," Tigress said. "The Jade Palace is a sacred place."

"It'll be fine," Po assured her. "What's the worst that can happen?" When she started to answer, Po said, "It's a rhetorical question, Tigress. Just calm down. By the way, Jing, I bet there's another reason why you came here to the Valley of Peace."

"Well, there is, but I'd rather not say so right now."

"Why not? Come on, I bet there's a really great reason for you to come all the way here after traveling for months."

"Well, it's kind of a long story," Jing said, trying to dodge the question. "I mean, there's a reason, but—"

"Spit it out!" Tigress growled.

"I'm here to train under the guidance of the real Dragon Warrior!" Jing replied, jumping fearfully away from Tigress.

Alright, here's chapter 2. Enjoy.


	3. Chapter 3

Alright, guys, here's the next chapter. Enjoy. Please read and review.

* * *

Chapter Three—The Jade Palace

Somehow, the mood had changed awkwardly, almost immediately following Jing's admission. They stared at him in confusion, and he stared at his feet, too nervous to look up at them.

"You want to train with me?" Po asked. "I know I'm a Kung Fu master but—"

"You're _not_ a Kung Fu master," Tigress snarled, "and _you_, kid, can't just show up and demand to be trained."

"Well, I wasn't expecting to just be trained, but I was hoping I could prove my skill to you guys and then you'd say that you'd train me," Jing admitted. "I've already been trained at my village, and I'm the best there, so I figured."

"No," Tigress snapped. She continued to walk to the Jade Palace and Monkey hurried after her.

Jing sighed heavily and looked up imploringly at Po, who looked just as sad as he felt. Then, he perked up. "Even still, I bet you'd like to see the Jade Palace, right, Jing? It's one of the coolest places ever."

Jing's smile returned. "Yep. I'd love to, Mr. Po!"

"Come on," Po told him. "I'll give you the grand tour."

"And _this_ is my room," Po said, sliding the door open. Jing stepped in first, then Po. Jing surveyed the room and smiled. It had a quaint, homey feel and one of the first things that Jing noticed was a small table beside the simple bed. Atop the table, he noticed were figurines.

"Wow," Jing murmured, moving closer to the figurines. "These are Furious Five! And"—he gasped—"you, Mr. Po!" He pointed to the figurine of Po, taking special care to not knock it from its small pedestal or even touch it. These figurines looked to be in mint condition.

"Well, yeah, I'm a collector of those... relics," Po replied, looking slightly nervous.

"Yeah, so am I, but I had to leave my figures at home, I didn't want them to get broken," Jing replied.

"Really?" Po asked.

"Although, I had planned on bringing them to show you, my dad told me to leave them at home."

"Hey, that's awesome," Po said. "You know, I've got a lot of things; why don't you borrow some until you can get yours back?"

"Really, Mr. Po?"

"Yeah, really," Po replied, "as long as you do me a favor."

"Anything, sir!"

"Don't call me 'Mr. Po' or 'sir' anymore. It's just Po."

"Yes, s—Po," Jing said.

"Come on, we've got some more places to check out. I'll show you one of my favorites: the Hall of Warriors."

* * *

Po pushed the door open and stepped inside, but Jing hesitated. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he felt like he was an intruder, as though this place wasn't meant for his eyes.

"Come on," Po called. "This place is amazing."

They moved from artifact to artifact with Jing staring at in wonder at each of the relics that they walked by. Then, they approached the Moon Pool, and Jing stared at his reflection, fighting the urge to touch the water—his excitement was destroying his self-restraint. He started to lean forward, but Po grabbed his shirt and held him back.

"Wait, I think it's a bad idea to fall into the Moon Pool," Po warned. "Instead, why don't I show you something awesome?" He pointed upward and Jing followed his finger; a golden dragon stared down at them and Jing saw a scroll clenched in the dragon's snarling mouth. He flinched at first, but quickly relaxed.

"Is that the Dragon Scroll? Isn't that what made you so strong?" Jing asked.

"Nope."

"Really? I thought it was supposed to have mystical powers."

"That's what I thought too, but when I saw it, I figured out what it _really_ was that made me strong. I can show you if you want."

"I'm not the Dragon Warrior... It's not allowed!" Jing gasped.

"Look in the water."

Curious, Jing looked in the water, staring into the calm pool. His reflection looked back and he huffed after a few uneventful moments. "Nothing's happening. I don't get it, Po."

"What do you see?"

"Me."

"_That's_ the secret, not some magic scroll," Po replied. "That scroll—there's no writing, no magic, no hidden power."

Jing looked back at the pool and steadily it dawned on him. "It's just me..."

"And what's stronger than you?"

"You?"

"Nobody."

Jing grinned and then sucked in his breath sharply when heard footsteps approaching behind them... Footsteps... and a cane. Po looked back and rubbed the back of his head, seeming nervous.

"What's going on here, Panda? Why is there a stranger in the Sacred Hall of Warriors?"

* * *

Yay, CLIFFHANGERS! Enjoy. Please read and review. I'd like to hear your opinions.


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, everybody, here's chapter three.

Chapter Four—The Test

Jing hid behind Po as Master Shifu approached, sucking in his breath sharply as he did. Somehow, despite Shifu's noticeable lack of height, the master was remarkably frightening. Po seemed undisturbed, but Jing could tell that Shifu was far from pleased.

"Panda, who is this?" Shifu demanded.

"This is Jing, a Kung Fu student and he's pretty good," Po replied.

"Why is he here in the Hall?" Shifu questioned.

"Well," Po said with a chuckle, "I thought I'd show him the awesomeness of the Jade Palace. Not everybody gets to see the amazing Jade Palace," he added with a wink to Jing. "He actually asked if he could train here."

"What?" Shifu gasped.

"Yeah, he wants to be a student of the legendary Dragon Warrior," Po explained, apparently oblivious to Shifu's growing annoyance. "Can't blame him."

"Po," Jing whispered warningly.

"I thought that, yeah, I'd teach him what I know," Po continued. "Got to pass the knowledge, right, Shifu?"

"No," Shifu snapped and with such finality that Po flinched. "You are not ready to teach, Panda."

"Then why don't you train him?" Po offered.

"No. As flattered as I'm sure you are by this youth, he simply cannot—"

"If you're wondering about his skill, Tigress and Monkey can vouch for that," Po continued. "After all, he practically beat them on his own."

"Did he now?" Shifu murmured in disbelief.

"Yeah, you can test him yourself," Po said. "In the training hall."

Shifu looked over Jing, who had started to unintentionally hold his breath. "Fine. Tigress will be his opponent. If he loses, he will be turned away."

"And if he wins?" Po asked, unable to hear Jing exhale.

Shifu frowned. "We will discuss it."

"This seems like a bad idea," Jing said to Po as they approached the training hall. "What if I lose?"

"You won't. Just be confident," Po answered, "and try not to get beat too badly if all else fails. Tigress can be a handful if you make her really mad."

"Oh," Jing sighed, looking at his feet as Shifu opened the door to the training hall. They stepped inside and Jing gasped. He had heard how the training hall was the proverbial gauntlet for only the best masters, but this exceeded his expectations. He saw the Furious Five training, Crane and Viper training against each other as Monkey and Tigress beat on the spiked dummies near the back. For a brief moment, Jing wondered where Mantis was, but he soon felt something on his shoulder and let out a shocked shout.

"Who's this, Master?" Mantis asked, landing gently on the floor.

"This is Jing, and he has asked permission to train here at the Jade Palace," Shifu answered.

"Another panda?" Viper wondered, slithering over.

"Yes, but if he is to train here, he must be tested," Shifu explained, "and I've reached the decision that Tigress will spar with him. Should he manage to defeat her"—she scoffed at the idea—"then we will discuss the possibility of his training here."

"No worries," Po told them. "I bet he could do it blindfolded."

"No," Jing hissed at him, but Shifu hummed with consideration.

"Very well, if that's the case," Shifu replied, "you shall battle her blindfolded on the tortoise shell."

"Wait, that's a—"

It was too late for a reply; Mantis had jumped onto the back of his head and tightened a dark piece of cloth onto his head. Jing stumbled forward and Po stopped him from falling into the actual field of training equipment. Very carefully, Po led him over to the tortoise and lifted him upward, practically throwing him onto the tortoise shell. Unable to keep his balance on the edge, Jing slid into the shell, screaming in surprise.

"Guys, I really think this—"

A loud growl made Jing jump out of the shell, landing carefully on the rim. The tortoise shell shook and Jing hesitated, barely able to keep his balance when he heard Tigress land beside him. He danced back carefully, dodging blows that he could not see, yet knew where happening. He felt a blow skim his cheek and he ducked into the tortoise shell, sliding down into it before sliding back out. How was he supposed to fight what he couldn't see?

Another loud growl sounded and Jing carefully moved to the side, but he felt the tortoise shell tilt slightly. An idea struck him. The tilt shifted and Jing made a move. He struck forward, and felt the slight tickling of fur that told him that he had almost landed a blow on Tigress. The tilt evened itself a little more, telling Jing that Tigress had moved to the other side.

That's how he'd do this. The tortoise shell moved based on the weight... The weight shifted again and the shell teetered. Jing wheeled around, ready to try once more, but the weight shifted once more, causing Jing's balance to lessen. He nearly fell off the tortoise, but he forced himself forward, sliding once more on the inside of the tortoise and landing on the other side. He exhaled sharply. This wasn't easy, to be sure, but it wasn't impossible.

Tigress made another lunge, inaudible this time, but Jing could adjust to the weight distribution. He moved to his left, and Tigress missed, but just barely. Her fist caught the cloth covering Jing's eyes and nearly pulled it off. She managed to stop herself, but her fist was caught in the cloth and Jing seized his chance. He struck, hitting Tigress's shoulder. Right as he had planned, Tigress's arm went limp and he pulled back.

Apparently, the nerve attack had made her angry. She let out an even louder growl than before and Jing skipped around the edge of the tortoise shell. Her aim seemed to have gotten better and Jing's balance disappeared. He felt his feet leave the tortoise shell and he fell backward, landing on the floor painfully. Then, another growl told him that Tigress was coming after him. He flinched, but someone cleared their throat, just as Tigress began to jump from the tortoise.

"That's enough!" Shifu called. "That will be enough."

Tigress turned back to him and bowed. Po came over and Jing sat upright. Po took off the blindfold from Jing's face. Jing looked back at him and took a deep breath. "What happened? Did I pass?"

"I think so," Po answered. "Not many people could actually stand up to Tigress and not get hit."  
"I got lucky."

"Nope, not luck. Something like that takes real skill."

Shifu strode over to them, his face an emotionless mask. "You do appear to have some skill in Kung Fu. In the morning, we can discuss the _possibility_"—he stressed the word—"of your training at the Jade Palace."

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Alright, everybody, here's Chapter 3. Enjoy.


	5. Chapter 5

Okay, it's taken a little while, but here it is. Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 5ive—Jing

The room was sparsely furnished, though Jing was not surprised. It had only a small bed and beside it, a small table. Jing stepped inside and walk to the window, looking outside. He was actually here with the Dragon Warrior, Po, at the Jade Palace. How long had he waited for this chance? And now, he was actually here! A strange kind of happiness filled him, knowing that he was probably going to get the chance very few had; to train at the Jade Palace.

The door slid open and Jing instinctively turned, relaxing when he saw Po walk in, smiling.

"You know, you really impressed Shifu," Po stated. "No matter what he wants to say, he knows talent when he sees it."

Jing exhaled sharply. The idea of being rejected by Shifu had been bothering him. Jing grinned up at Po. "Good," he replied. "Now I can sleep without nightmares."

"You have nightmares?" Po questioned.

"No, I was just making a joke," Jing answered. Jing walked over to his bed and sat down. Po walked over and joined him and the bamboo frame bent under their combined weight. "I'm just thinking. I'm kind of... homesick, I guess. Kind of miss my dad."

"Really?" Po asked. "What's he like?"

"Well, he's a really good guy," Jing answered. "Took me in when my parents died. Kind of... taught me everything I know. Almost everything."

"So, you're adopted?"

"Yeah."

"So am I!"

"Mr. Ping's your dad, right?" Jing asked and Po nodded.

"Yeah, he's great, and his noodles are awesome," Po explained. "So, you really came all the way from your village just to train here?"

"Well... yeah," Jing answered. "I need to get stronger. I want to be stronger."

"You're really strong already," Po told him. "So, how'd you get started in Kung Fu? How'd you get so good?"

"Well, when I was with my friends back home, we used to pretend to do Kung Fu—we always used to dream about actually training," Jing explained. His face took on a wistful look as nostalgia began to overtake him. Yet the nostalgia was short-lived and his expression became clouded. "Then, some bandits started to attack my village. They raided the place and we were just kind of... helpless. Then a traveler came through the town and he single-handedly sent the bandits away. My friends and I asked him to train me and it took a lot of convincing, but he did. I trained with him for a year before he told me about the Jade Palace."

"And that's why you came?" Po inquired.

Jing nodded. "I'd always heard the stories about the Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five. I figured I'd come here and learn from the best. I never actually thought you'd be a panda like me." Jing grinned.

"Well, life's full of surprises, Jing," Po replied, smiling as well. "What's your village like?"

"It's in the south, a little fishing village," Jing explained. "I've lived there since I was a baby, and I've never actually left it before now. It's really kind of warm, and kind of humid and it's got this really quaint, homey feel to it."

"Sounds nice. I'd like to visit sometime," Po said.

"Yeah, it was... home."

"Was?" Po noted. "Aren't you going to go back sometime?"

"This is my home now. At least whiling I'm training," Jing explained. "I might go back one day."

"I think you should," Po stated.

"Yeah," Jing murmured, looking down.

"What's wrong?" Po wondered.

"Guess I'm just feeling kind of... homesick."

They were silent for a short while before Po perked up. "Hey, it's almost dinnertime." Po stood and walked to the door sliding it open. He turned to look back at Jing. "Are you coming?"

Jing nodded. "Yeah. What's for dinner?"

* * *

Okay, everybody, here's the next chapter. It's a bit short, but hope you like it.


	6. Chapter 6

Alright, everybody, here's the next chapter for Jing. Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter Six

The next morning, Jing woke to the sound of chirping birds. For a brief moment, he felt slightly disoriented, unsure of where he was, but then everything came back and the same jubilation from the previous day surged through him. How could he have almost forgotten that he was going to train at the Jade Palace?

Excitedly, he jumped off his bed, and began to strut down the hall, thinking of what they'd teach him first. By the time he had reached the dining room, the Furious Five and Po were already eating breakfast, talking amongst themselves. Yet when he was noticed in the doorway, the conversation stopped abruptly.

"Good morning," Po greeted. "Hungry?"

Jing nodded and Po stood. He walked over to the wall, pulled up and extra chair and placed it beside him. Jing walked over and sat down. A few seconds after he had sat, Po had put food in front of him. Jing looked into the bowl: congee. He started to eat and his eyes opened wide in amazement. Normally, congee wasn't quite this flavorful.

"Wow," he murmured. "Did you make this, Po?"

"Yep," Po replied. "My dad taught me how to cook when I was little. Like it?"

"It's awesome!" Jing exclaimed as he started to eat.

"So, Jing," Crane began. "Where are you from?"

Jing was going to attempt to answer, but with his mouth full of food, he decided against it. He swallowed and said, "It's just a small village. Nowhere really important." Hoping that he would not be asked more questions, Jing hurriedly ate more. Then, he heard Shifu speak... and jerked in surprise. Jing's eyes surveyed the room, but Shifu was nowhere to be found.

"Panda, it is time to train. We have much to work on today."

The sound was coming from right beside him. Po was grinning at him and it took a moment, but Jing soon realized that it had been Po, just impersonating Shifu. At the same moment he exhaled, he began to laugh.

"That's amazing," Jing said. "I didn't know you could do impressions!"

"Yep, it's one of my many talents," Po answered.

"Unfortunately," Tigress growled as she began to stand, "humility isn't." She set her bowl in the sink and walked out, seeming to be annoyed.

"Can you do her?" Jing questioned.

Po nodded, took a careful breath, and said, in a very impressive impersonation of Tigress, "I am the greatest Kung Fu master." Jing laughed again. Then, an idea came to him.

"That's awesome, Po," Jing said, in such a shocking copy of Monkey's voice that everybody stared at him. Then, he changed his impression, this time mimicking Po. "Did you know that I can do impressions."

"Whoa! That was incredible," Po stated.

"He's even better than you," Monkey chortled.

Po was about to reply, but Jing spoke first. "Well, my adoptive dad was an entertainer. He taught me how to do impressions when I was a kid." His face took on a wistful look as he thought of home once more.

"Was?" Monkey asked. "What does he do now?"

Involuntarily, Jing twitched. He looked away from them, and down at his half-eaten bowl of congee. Before he could answer, Tigress reentered the room.

"Master Shifu wants to see all of us in the training hall immediately," she announced. "That includes you," she added, pointing to Jing.

The Furious Five moved automatically and rapidly, leaving Jing and Po alone.

"Are you okay?" Po asked.

"Yeah," Jing replied, "doing just fine. Come on, we should go."

Po stood first and Jing followed, but he soon found himself stumbling, falling forward. He fell into Po, his face landing right on Po's chest... Within seconds, Jing felt his heartbeat start to increase and time seemed to slow down. He looked up at Po, who was looking down at him.

"Hey, are you okay?" Po asked as Jing stepped away.

"Yeah," Jing replied. He hurriedly replaced the shock on his face with excitement. "Come on, we can't be late."

Po nodded. "Yeah! Let's go!"

Po practically jogged off towards the training hall, Jing following behind, too distracted to really pay attention to anything but one thought.

_Why was my heart beating so fast?_

* * *

Okay, everybody, here's chapter six. Enjoy.


	7. Chapter 7

Okay, everybody, here's the next chapter of Jing. Sorry it took so long, but I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

Chapter Seven—Homesick

Training the next day was painful and harder than Jing would've imagined. Shifu seemed to want to test him more, pushing him further than Jing had ever been pushed before, but Jing was amazed that, while he wasn't as skilled as the Furious Five or Po, he managed to power through the brutal training. By the end of it, Jing's body ached painfully, but the pride of actually being able to train with the best made it all worthwhile.

That night, Jing found himself sitting beneath the peach tree on the nearby hill, looking out into the distance at the hills and mountains that surrounded the Valley of Peace. Somewhere, out there, his village was and in the back of his mind, he felt conflicted. Part of him missed home, but another part of him quashed the feeling as hurriedly as it had come. He had left for many reasons, but the most important reason—

"Hey, Jing!" called a voice, ripping Jing from his own thoughts. He looked behind him and saw Po approaching. Jing grinned at him as Po sat beside him. "What're you doing all the way up here? Dinner's ready."

"Sorry, I was just thinking," Jing answered, looking back to the mountains. "Were you born here, Po? In the Valley of Peace, I mean."

"No," Po replied. "My village was a farming village that was most pandas. I was actually a baby when I was brought here. What about you? How'd your parents find you?"

Jing took a careful breath. "Well, when things got difficult between me and my birth father, my adopted parents took me in. They just kind of picked me up after it happened." Jing sighed heavily. "I was just thinking about my birth father."

"What was he like?"

"It's kind of… complicated," Jing answered nervously. "Well, he cared about me… He always tried to make me happy and he tried to do… whatever he thought was right for me, but…" Jing trailed off, fumbling with the words he was trying to say. Po was looking at him insistently.

"But what…?"

"Is it wrong if you have to hurt someone in order to help someone else?" Jing questioned nervously.

Po's smile faded. "What do you mean?"

Jing found himself unable to look at Po. "My father wasn't exactly the most ethical person in the world. He… played really loosely with the law."

"Was your dad a criminal?"

There was no point in denying it. Instead, Jing did not acknowledge the comment. "When my dad died, I went to live with my adoptive parents, which really wasn't so bad. They were really nice people and I miss them."

"Jing," Po said, more seriously than Jing had ever heard him before. "Was your dad a criminal?"

Jing bit his lip. Evidently, Po wanted an answer. "Not exactly." Jing looked down at the ground. "My father is the ruling governor of the village. He breaks the law more often than not to make sure that he could do whatever he wants. He thinks that because he is a rich ruler, he could do whatever he wants to."

"What's his name?"

"Liang."

Po nodded.

"My dad is a really harsh ruler and he doesn't care for anybody he's in charge of," Jing stated with audible dislike. "He's the worst kind of person and… and I'm scared of him." Jing chortled slightly. "That's one of the main reasons why I left that village. I was scared of what he'd do to me."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, when I moved in with my adoptive parents, he tried to force them to give me back to him," Jing explained. "They refused and eventually he had them… executed." Shortly after they were executed, I ran away from the village because I'm just a coward."

"You're not a coward," Po replied. "I don't think anyone could really be able to handle that kind of pressure."

"I want to get stronger so that I can go back and so I don't have to be afraid," Jing admitted. A yawn worked its way through him and he was unable to stop it. A strange tiredness washed over him and he exhaled. "I'm tired. Today was just kind of brutal," he said jokingly, hoping to clear the tension that had formed between them.

"Well, that's how things are here," Po replied, joining him on the change in mood.

"Let's go get dinner, then I think I'm going to sleep," Jing stated.

"Yeah," Po agreed.

Jing started down the hill, but before he took his first step, Po put his hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

"Jing, you're not a coward. I can tell you that."

* * *

Okay, everybody. Here it is. Sorry it took so long. I was on a forced vacation with my family, but that's done now and I can focus a little more. Enjoy.


	8. Chapter 8

Here's the next chapter. Please read and review. I'd like to hear everybody's opinions of the story. Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter Eight ~ Journal

A few weeks passed in relative ease and simplicity. Jing would train during the day with the Furious Five and Po and then, at night, he'd enjoy the company of his new friends. Over time, he found himself growing closer to them.

However, in the back of his mind, it was getting harder and harder to think of his hometown. The more time he spent in the Valley of Peace—and the more of the Valley's people he met—the harder it became to return to the idea of going home. More than once, Po had asked if or when Jing was planning on returning to the hometown. Almost always, Jing had simply said, "Soon."

However, Jing was starting to wonder if he'd actually go...

As the new moon rose into the sky, Jing sat on the nearby hillside, staring out amongst the mountains and hills that surrounded the Valley of Peace, as had become his habit. On his lap was a scroll, currently blank and illuminated by a small torch, imbedded in the ground. Not for the first time, the first words of a poem started to come into his mind. Carefully, he began to write onto the page, using a light brush with some ink in a small jar by his side.

He wasn't sure how long he had been writing on the scroll before Po approached. He hadn't even noticed until Po sat down beside him, looking over to read the poem. Habitually, Jing moved the scroll just beyond Po's sight.

"If you're not careful, you'll ruin your work," Po warned. "Aren't you going to let me see?"

Jing, who had started to double-check his work to ensure that it wasn't ruined, jerked slightly. A slight tear appeared on the paper, but it wasn't in far enough to wreck his hard work. "I kind of don't want you to," Jing admitted. "It's kind of... personal."

"How so? Is it about your hometown?"

Jing shook his head.

"Um, I'm kind of tired," Jing insisted. He carefully lifted the scroll, unintentionally knocking over the jar of ink. The black liquid spread out across the ground and Jing made a movement to try to keep more of it from continuing to spill. No sooner had he reached for it did Po lean over and carefully taking the scroll from Jing.

Po stood up quickly, reading over Jing's writing carefully.

"Hey, give that back!" Jing insisted, but Po quickly moved beyond Jing's reach, not once pulling his eyes away from the scroll.

Hurriedly, with his heart racing, Jing picked up the jar and brush, waiting for Po to finish reading. When Po finally stopped, he looked up at Jing with an unreadable expression, an eyebrow raised slightly.

"Who's this poem about?" Po asked.

Jing shrugged slightly, silently glad that he had not added a name.

"Just... someone I know," Jing replied nervously.

"'He stands out in the palace, strong and handsome'," Po read, once more reading directly from scroll. "'At the sound of his voice, I find myself unable to stop listening and—'"

"Stop."

"You wrote this."

"I know. But who is it about?" Po insisted.

"I don't—"

_"Jing!"_ Po said. "Come on. Just tell me. Who's it about?"

"You might not like it when I say it to you," Jing warned.

"Humor me. Who's it about?"

Jing swallowed hard. He fidgeted nervously with the brush and ink jar before nodding.

"It's you..."

* * *

Okay, everybody. Here's the next chapter. Tell me what you think and I hope you like it. I know it's kind of short, but I plan on making the next chapter longer.


	9. Chapter 9

To all of the readers of this particular story and my other works, I want to thank you for reading and I'm sorry for taking so long with the next upload. Please forgive me and I'll try to be better. For now, enjoy.

**Chapter Nine—Po's Response**

"It's you."

Jing paused for a second, just to allow the confession to sink in. Already, Po had formulated a response.

"See, it wasn't tha—Say what now?" Po gasped in such a surprised tone that Jing was beginning to feel slightly fearful. He fidgeted nervously as he mumbled something under his breath. "What'd you just say?" Po prodded.

"I... I love you," Jing repeated, embarrassed.

"..." Po seemed unsure of how to reply, staring curiously at Jing who awaited the reply. Then, much to Jing's amazement, Po burst out into a hearty laugh and Jing felt a sense of embarrassment and a small shred of anger at the sound. Did Po really not understand? "That's funny," Po laughed. "Now, tell me what's really bothering you."

"I just did," Jing maintained. "I... I love you. The poem was about you... I'm... I don't know how else to explain it."

Po stood there silently, allowing the words to sink in. Jing had steadily, absently, began to take steps back from Po, suddenly nervous, afraid. Without a word, he turned and started down the hill. Within a few seconds, Po was by his side, his hand on Jing's shoulder. Quickly, Jing shrugged it off, wheeling around.

"Please, Po, I need to be alone," Jing insisted.

"But—"

"Just leave me alone for a little while, okay?" Jing repeated.

Po watched as Jing walked down the hill, left alone with his own thoughts and feelings.

* * *

_It was a mistake,_ Jing thought sadly as he lay on his bunk. It had been a mistake to say anything. He should've kept silent or made a quick lie. He could've redirected the conversation away from the awkward topic. But now, it was impossible to take back what was said or who it was said to. And Po, his reaction... Silence. What did silence mean? Did that mean Po was okay with it? Did he hate it?

Too many questions, too many chances for reply... Too many outcomes for a simple explanation.

Jing sighed heavily. Space, he thought as he began to drift into sleep. He needed space.

* * *

Facing Po was impossible and Jing found himself avoiding being alone with the Dragon Warrior for any period of time. Po had made attempts to try to reach Jing or even to pull him aside from the others, but Jing was worming away, avoiding any kind of contact.

Time ticked by and Jing found himself almost afraid to be around Po. He couldn't help but notice him, but Jing didn't want to feel this way anymore. Why was he so afraid? What was there to be afraid of? Was he afraid that Po would begin to hate him? Or maybe that he would find out he loved Po even more.

And Po had noticed.

Despite his best attempts, Jing was seeming more and more distant. He still hadn't completely figured out how he felt about Jing, but he couldn't help but want to find out. More than anything, however, he wanted to avoid hurting Jing—the kid was special to him, though exactly how was still a mystery in Po's mind. He wasn't sure if it was just kinship because of their many similarities or...

Po sighed as he walked into the Hall of Warriors. As he had expected, Shifu was meditating by the reflecting pool, though the sight of Shifu's ear twitching told him that his arrival hadn't gone unnoticed.

"Panda, did you need something?" Shifu asked without turning.

"Advice," Po admitted.

"On what?"

"Jing." Shifu gave a small hum, telling Po that he was listening. "He's been acting weird lately. I've tried to talk to him, but he's avoiding me. I don't know if it's something I did or if he just doesn't like me anymore. I'm afraid that it's because of what I did."

"And what exactly did you do?" Shifu inquired.

Po hesitated. "I might've hurt him... badly."

"How so?"

"Emotionally," Po explained.

"How?" Po clenched his teeth before explaining the night on the hill. Shifu nodded as Po explained. "I see. This is a difficult situation. This is something you need to speak with him about. But first you have to figure out how you feel about the situation. Before you actually confront him, you need to deal with your own uncertainty."

"But I—"

"I cannot solve this problem for you. This is between you and him."

Po nodded humbly. "Thank you, Master Shifu."

Po was nervous as he stood just outside of Jing's room. He wasn't entirely sure about how he felt about the entire situation, but he needed to deal with this. He knew he needed to. It was getting to the point where the Five were starting to comment and question and to where it was interfering with his concentration.

He took a deep breath.

"Jing?" he called through the paper screen. "Are you in there? Can we talk?"

There was silence and Po turned to walk away when he began to hear noises from within the room. He steeled himself as the door slid open and Jing looked up at him.

"Yes?" Jing asked nervously.

* * *

Okay everyone, here's chapter nine. Enjoy, enjoy. Read and review if you please. Thanks.


	10. Chapter 10

Okay, everybody, here's the next chapter. I hope you guys like it.

Chapter 10 ~ Pick the Moment

Jing paused for a second, looking at Po curiously. It was clear to Jing that Po was unnerved by simply being there. It was just as clear that Po would've found a way to speak his mind eventually and perhaps it was better that Po speak sooner rather than later. He weighed the odds and the possible outcomes in his mind, finally deciding to step aside.

"Come in," he said finally. With Po inside, Jing closed the door. Po sat on Jing's bed, mumbling as he tried to place the words in their proper sequence. "If there's nothing you want to say-"

"Do you remember the first week you spent here at the Palace?" Po asked suddenly. Jing nodded slightly. "We became friends really quickly. We just kind of enjoyed each other's company a lot. And you know, we're kind of similar, you know. We both like a lot of the same things and we're both really good at Kung Fu and we liked just talking with each other too. We could talk to each other about pretty much anything, right?"

"I suppose..."

"I guess you must hate me too much to talk to me now, right?"

Jing sucked in air quickly, shocked by Po's statement. "What? Why would I hate you now?"

"Then why are you avoiding me so much?" Po demanded. Jing winced, feeling small specks of tears forming in the corner of his eyes. "If you don't hate me, then why are you trying so hard to keep away from me?"

"I don't hate you, Po... I'm just... I don't know," Jing sighed. "I'm scared. I don't know what to say anymore or how to act now that you know how I feel and-"

"Who said you had to change the way you acted?" Po questioned. "I like you because of who you are. You don't have to act any different or think any different or anything. Just be you."

Jing smiled. "You make it sound so easy."

"Sometimes the hardest problems have the simplest solutions."

"Did you come up with that?"

"Borrowed from Shifu," Po admitted and they shared a small laugh. The sound was pleasant and welcomed to Jing, who missed the sound of it. "And, by the way, it's not like I haven't thought about it. I've thought about the way I feel about you recently too... I'm not sure if I... particularly love you. But I do feel that you are special to me and... you're not like the others."

"So... what does that mean for us?"

"For us? Well, at the very least, I want you to be my friend, but... just give me a bit of time. Let's take this slowly and see what happens."

Jing took a deep breath, feeling a heaviness on him lift to be replaced by relief.

"Okay."

* * *

Taking it slow was enjoyable and, at the same time, infuriating. Jing wished he could simply be more open about his feelings for Po, but Po was so indecisive about his own feelings that it was difficult. Even still, rushing seemed just as foolish, as he was afraid of how anyone else would react. Was the Dragon Warrior even allowed to date?

But, over the next few weeks, the awkward silence between them was broken and there was relief throughout the Jade Palace. The Furious Five had found it difficult to even approach the topic of their strange quietness, but now that it was gone, the familiar friendliness had returned. Even training had become easier and Jing was advancing just as fast as he had been before, although Po still outclassed him notably.

Then, a few days later, a messenger arrived.

The messenger was clearly exhausted, very dirty as if he had never washed his clothes before. He was thin too, as if he had eaten just enough to keep himself from starving to death. The goat's eyes, deep-set and piercing seemed to see everything as Shifu hurried to his aid, helping him into the courtyard.

"Are you alright?" Shifu questioned.

"Y-yes," came the dry answer.

"Tigress, please get some water. Monkey, please get some food," Shifu ordered. They bowed quickly and ran to follow their orders just as Po and Jing, speaking jovially to each other, approached. The goat saw them and fear played across his face. He backed away, so clearly terrified that Jing and Po stopped where they were, unsure of how to proceed.

"Please, calm yourself," Shifu soothed. "You are safe here."

"N-no!" the goat breathed. "He's come to kill me!"

"Po, Jing, get back."

"Wait!" the goat sighed. "P-Po? I know that name! The... The Dragon Warrior! I was sent to find you, sir!" Breaking free from Shifu's grasp, the goat ran to Po, bowing at his feet. He kissed Po's shoe, but Po pulled away, clearly awkward.

"Okay, old timer, what's up?"

"My... my people need your help!" the goat insisted. "You must come to my village! Save us!"

* * *

Shifu led the old goat inside, where Tigress and Monkey had set out food and drink for him. As if he would never eat or drink again, the goat downed everything and, when sated, he looked to Shifu.

"My village is ruled by an evil monster! He's... He's a panda like Master Po," the goat explained.

While he silently reveled at being called "Master Po", Po exchanged quick looks with Jing before speaking. "What's this 'monster's' name?"

The goat hesitated before answering. "Liang."

* * *

Enjoy, everybody. Please read/review/PM me with anything you'd like to say. Sorry it took so long. My internet was being mean to me. I finally got it to work again. Enjoy.


	11. Chapter 11

Okay, everybody, here's the next chapter. Hope you like it.

Chapter—Jing's Decision

The old goat had been given a spare room to sleep in for the night, which he had gladly taken so long as it was a distance away from Po and Jing. Despite having an almost worship-like fascination with the Dragon Warrior, the goat seemed too frightened by pandas in general to want to be near them for any period of time. Jing had noticed that he shook with fear whenever he or Po had tried to speak with him.

Now, he sat cross-legged on his bedroom floor, trying to calm himself, to quiet the fearful and angry storm that plagued his mind. Somehow, he had known that news of Liang's cruelty would one day reach the Jade Palace. When the goat had first arrived, Jing had been convinced that he was a messenger, telling Jing that his father had ordered him to return home. To learn that he had actually simply run away from Liang's rule was another matter entirely.

So, he was starting to ask himself a single question—were they going to interfere with Liang's rule? The idea had been tossed around, but Shifu had not given any definitive orders. Simply that something needed to be done. Right now, he was meditating by the reflecting pool, trying to find a solution. And Po...

Po had been very outspoken about dealing with Liang. Undoubtedly, they were going to do something, but Jing wondered if he wanted them to go. Somewhere in the back of Jing's mind, he wanted to be one that stopped Liang, the person who brought peace to his abused subjects.

He huffed—meditation wasn't working the way it should've. It was supposed to make him think more clearly. Right now, it just muddled his own thoughts as they began to shift to Po. What would Po's take on the situation be?

Standing, Jing left his room and tiptoed down the hallway toward Po's room. He carefully tapped the paper screen and, almost immediately, heard something stir from within. Another gentle tap, and Po's tired, dry voice came out, unintelligible as he woke. The door opened and Po stared at Jing in amazement.

"Is something wrong?" Po asked. Then, with more excitement. "Did Shifu send you to tell me that we're going to stop him?"

"Po... I don't think I want you and the Five to go to that village," Jing stated. Po took a moment to register what had been stated, but Jing continued to speak. "Listen to me—Liang is my father and it's my job to take care of it. I'll handle it."

"You can't handle it alone. Firstly, Shifu wouldn't allow it, and—"

"But Po—"

"—do you really think—"

"—I can handle it if you let me and—"

"—you're strong enough?"

"I'm sure I can... you think I'm not strong enough?" Jing paused in the middle of his statement, slightly offended by Po's suggestion. "I thought you believed that I was strong!"

"I do, but you've clearly got some kind of issue with this. It's a personal problem for you, and I'm a bit... worried that this could mess your head."

"I'm perfectly fine, Po! And I can handle it on my own. You just have to trust me. Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you, but—"

"No! No 'buts'. You said you trust me."

"I don't trust anyone you'll come across," Po explained. "This isn't about you. It's about what could happen. It's safer if you work in a team."

"I don't want any of you getting hurt because of me," Jing huffed. It registered in his mind that he sounded whiny, but he could feel his emotions rising quickly to the surface. "Po... You need to understand. I have to do this... It's... It's my problem. I should've handled before. I ran away—I should've taken care of it."

"Are you feeling guilty about leaving?"

The first tear fell and Jing could feel that he was barely keeping back the cascade that threatened him. Was he so transparent that Po could see into his mind so clearly? Jing looked down at the floor—not wanting to let Po see the small teardrops beginning to form in his eyes.

"Po, you don't understand. I feel like I need to do this!"

Po did something strange that made sent trimmers of surprise and warmth moving through his body. He lifted Jing's head so that Jing was looking directly at him before he leaned closer to kiss Jing's cheek.

"Just because you feel you have to do this doesn't mean you need to do it alone..."

Took amazed by the feel of the kiss, Jing was momentarily taken over by a feeling of uncertainty. His resolve was faltering and when he next spoke, the words seemed to have lost the strength that they had previously.

"Okay... We... we can do this together."

* * *

Enjoy. I'd like to read your opinions. Have a good day.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 ~ Journey into the Past

They departed at dawn the next day, Jing and Po and Tigress, beginning the trek towards Jing's hometown and, ultimately, into Jing's own past. As he led the way, Jing wondered how he would stand being back. Even knowing that he was by the Dragon Warrior's side was little consolation. Despite everything he had been through, it was still a painful topic and one that incited fear in him. He remembered very clearly his father's face and, more than that, he could still see the faces of his father's victims. The shadows of their pain still haunted him...

As they stopped for the day at dusk, Jing began to question what he'd do when he'd face Liang once more. He stared into the flickering flames of their campfire, his thoughts swirling chaotically in his mind. Would he be brave or would he be a coward? Could he truly stand up to his father after failing before?

As if reading his mind, Po, who had been sitting beside him, spoke. "It'll be okay, Jing. You're a better person than when you left."

Jing smiled weakly. "Yeah, but... How do you fight your own dad?"

"I know this'll be hard for you, but remember that we're here together. We're a team."

"I watched my father dismantle 'teams' with ease," Jing answered, sounding more morbid than he had intended. Now, Po was listening even more closely, eyes narrowed. Clearly, Jing had been expected to say more. "My father's evil. He's a horrible, spiteful person who cares only about himself. He never has time for other people... not even me."

"What'd he do that made him a tyrant?" Tigress demanded.

"Well, people he'd arrested he'd 'rehabilitate'," Jing said, making sure that there was sarcasm on that last word.

"Meaning...?" Po prodded.

"He tortured them," Jing relented sadly. "He made me watch as one of his followers stuck a prisoner with a thousand needles. They were dipped in some kind of poison that caused excruciating pain without killing. I had to listen as that man begged to be killed..." The memory began to replay itself in Jing's mind and he hurriedly continued to speak, wanting to exchange it. "I remember that he once had a public execution for his own amusement. The prisoner was just a petty thief and he was completely destitute. No money whatsoever-he had to steal to survive. But my father wouldn't care. He personally cut... that..." He began to trail off, feeling the tears blurring his vision as he attempted to speak. There was no way to say it aloud. It was simply too hard.

"Jing-" Po began, but Tigress cut across him.

"Why didn't you report that to Master Shifu when you arrived at the Jade Palace?" she asked harshly.

"Tigress!" Po shouted. "Don't blame him for this!"

"No, she's right. I should've said something earlier. I was just afraid of what he'd do if he found out. I wanted... to try to keep a low-profile, but then I heard about the Jade Palace and figured I'd learn there, if I could," Jing said. "I was traveling for a while before I made it to the Palace. My father sent plenty of his agents to find me and I ditched them, but I bet they're still looking." He chortled awkwardly. "I wouldn't be surprised if my father's put a bounty on me."

"He's a horrible person and I can't really blame Jing for being nervous about telling us this. I'd probably be terrified about it," Po admitted. "I mean, this guy's just..." He shuddered.

"The only question is how are we going to deal with him," Tigress said. "If we send him to jail, we'll need to find somebody who can become the town's new mayor." She looked directly at Jing as she spoke and the implication was understood immediately.

"Me?! I'm not a leader," Jing remarked. "Why not you?"

"I'm needed at the Jade Palace," Tigress explained.

"Then we can find somebody else," Po said. "After all, Jing's just started his training under Shifu." He yawned.

"It's late, we need our sleep," Jing said. "We'll reach the village tomorrow."

* * *

Okay, everybody. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13-The Village

Jing stopped them before they actually got to the village. In the outlying woods, he stopped, kneeling behind a bush to get a good look. It hadn't changed—it was still hidden behind the ugly stone walls. And, as usual, Liang had put men out front to guard the entrance. Getting in through the front way would be impossible.

"What's wrong?" Tigress asked.

"We can't go in that way," he said, "and we're not going to fight. If we do, Liang's going to know we're here."

"So, what's your plan?" Po asked. "We've got to get in there."

"I know," Jing answered, "but to be simple about it; my father's not just going to open the door and let me in. And he's hired a lot of bandits and mercenaries to be his own personal army." He thought carefully. "Give me a moment to—I've got it! There's an entrance below ground, a secret place. I used it to escape. I don't know if my father's already blocked it, but it's the only way I think of."

"So, how do we get in?"

"You're going to hate me for this," he said with an embarrassed chortle.

* * *

"A sewer?" Tigress breathed, trying to keep her voice calm. Jing had stressed to them the importance of silence. She watched as Jing kneeled beside the river "I'd rather take on his army."

"Tigress, this is an old sewer. It'll reek, but at least it's not being used anymore," Jing replied. "It's going to be dry and—hold your breath. Once you smell it, you'll never get it out of your nose." He chortled slightly as he opened one of the pipes that dumped into the river, moving the metal circle that blocked it off.

The scent that wafted out of the sewer was powerful and Jing could've sworn that it had gotten worse. Or maybe he was just too used to the incense used at the Jade Palace. As he held his breath, he stepped into the pipe, glad that it was dry as hunched over, making his way down the wide pipe. Behind him was Po and behind Po, Tigress grumbled before taking a deep breath to hold as they made their way down.

The pipe soon opened to a wider tunnel and within a few minutes, the tunnel stopped at a ladder, which lead up to the village. Jing took the first step, grabbing the wrought-iron ladder with one hand then another, wincing as the rusted metal scraped against his palm. As he climbed, he could hear something above them, a sound not unlike soldiers in armor. At the top of the ladder, he paused, listening carefully for the sound to cease. A scream punctuated the sound and he moved instinctively, pushing off the thin cover over the ladder and jumping out.

One of his father's "soldiers" was harassing a young female goat, sneering at her as he attempted to "seduce" her. Angered by the display, Jing attacked before thinking, striking the crocodile mercenary in the back of his head. The mercenary dropped almost immediately and Jing realized how quickly the situation would deteriorate. Inevitably, somebody would come looking for this croc.

"What'd you do?" Po breathed as he saw. "Was he one of the bad guys?"

"He was trying to..." Jing trailed off, looking at the goat. "Are you okay?"

She seemed frozen before letting out another scream. She fell to her knees, crying. "Please, don't hurt me, Master Liang," she begged. "I know my taxes are overdue, but—"

"What are you talking about? I'm not Liang," Jing replied.

She swallowed hard, looking from Jing to Po, and finally Tigress, who was complaining about the stench that was beginning to cling to her fur. After a few quick seconds of heavy breathing, she steadily relaxed. "I'm sorry, sir, but you—Thank you for saving me. If I can ever repay—"

"We'll need a place to hide," Jing answered, "and a place to hide the crocodile too." He looked down at the croc who was starting to stir—he was coming to.

"Well, my family's home isn't far, but how're you going to hide the crocodile?"

The crocodile's eyes started to flutter open and, almost reflexively, Tigress struck it in the back of its neck, sending it back to dreamland. Jing smiled weakly at the woman who seemed put-off by their clear violent capabilities. She was more fearful, it seemed, than thankful.

"We'll just have to make do," Jing answered.

The woman's home was little more than a dilapidated shack, which probably should've collapsed some time ago. She moved a small flap of sticks away from the entrance and stepped inside, followed by Jing who quickly stopped himself. This shack had three children inside. How was everybody going to fit inside?

"We can't," Jing realized. "Guys, we'll need to strategize about this. There's no room."

"We can't stop here then," Tigress remarked. "We need to keep going."

"Right, but what about this guy?" Po asked, pointing to the mercenary who had been tied up with spare rope and gagged with a piece of Jing's shirt sleeve. He wasn't struggling—apparently, he was aware that he was no match for any of them. "We can't just leave him here; he'll hurt these people."

Jing thought carefully, then walked over to the croc, moving the gag just enough so that the mercenary could talk, but close enough to be replaced should the mercenary speak.

"What's your name?" Jing demanded.

"I don't got to tell you nothing."

"I'm not going to play games with you," Jing growled, grabbing the mercenary by his collar. Fear played across the mercenary's face as he stared at Jing. "Do you know where we can get into Liang's mansion?"

"Well, no. I'm not allowed into the mansion. I'm just a vagabond!"

"He's useless," Jing said. "And we can't leave him here. So, we might need to..."

"To... what?" Po asked as Jing readjusted the gag. "You want to... You want to KILL him?!"

"We might not have a choice. Once Liang knows we're here..." Jing sighed heavily. "And not only that, but if we disappear after we let him go, they'll attack the villagers to try to draw us out. It's a no-win situation. The only way we can do this is if we have nobody who knows we're here."

"Jing!" Po snapped. "The way you talk... It's almost like you want to hurt people! That sounds like your father." Jing jerked in surprise at the remark and was about to retort, but Po continued to speak, pointing at the goat who had led them there. "She knows we're here. Her children know we're here. Are we going to kill them too?"

"No, and I'm not my father!"

"Then act like it!" Po returned. "We don't need to hurt him. We just need to keep him out of the way."

"There's a barn nearby," the goat suggested nervously, flinching when they looked at her. "One of my friends owns it. Maybe you can... keep him there?"

"We can't do that. That'll put you and your friend in danger."

"That might be the only recourse," Tigress mentioned, "since we can't take him with us."

"Maybe we can. If we can make him work with us," Jing offered. He turned back to the croc, who was wriggling against his restraints in an attempt to free himself. "Keep trying; you won't get free. And even if you do, you can't outrun or beat all three of us."

"I knew that!" the croc said stupidly, still struggling.

"Listen, we need your help. Do you know of any ways into the mansion?" Po wondered.

"Just the front door. Master Liang keeps it locked and guarded though."

"Well, we're stuck in a bad place," Jing scoffed. "And I'm pretty sure that my father knows about the secret entrance from his storeroom."

"From the storeroom? He's got a storeroom?" the croc questioned.

The comment rang in their ears. "You don't know about the storeroom?" Jing asked.

"What're you talking about?" the crocodile asked. "He doesn't _have_ a storeroom. He keeps everything in a pantry in his mansion."

Jing scowled. "There's a storeroom on the mansion's grounds, but when I lived there, he never used it for anything. Things kept getting broken and disappearing when he put things in there. My grandfather died in the storeroom one day so he started saying its cursed. Ever since then, he's never gone near it and he never tore it down. What he didn't know is that there's a secret tunnel under the storeroom's floorboards that some thieves were using to take stuff. The thieves were the ones who did all the stealing and breaking and they killed my grandfather when he stumbled across them one day. He might've demolished it since I left, but I don't think so."

"Where's the tunnel start?"

"If I remember correctly, it started just under a table in a noodle restaurant. The table is a bigger one than normal and hides the hole. The only catch is that the hole's pretty narrow and only one of us can go through at a time."

"Well, then that's what we'll do," Tigress stated. "The only question is this guy. What'll we do with him?"

Jing mused. He struck the croc on the back of his neck, knocking him out once more before smiling. "What if we hide him in the tunnel?"

They exchanged a smile—That was a good idea.

* * *

Enjoy!


	14. Chapter 14

Okay, new chapter. Yay! **_Late! _**_Where have you been?__** It's about time!**_**_ What took so (bleep)ing long?!_** Whatever you think, I hope you enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 14-Son's Light and Father's Shadow

The goat woman, who had introduced herself as Zhen, had allowed them to sleep in the house's small entry room, on the floor beneath an admittedly ugly quilt. Tigress, who had been unable to sleep, contented herself with sitting by the open window, keeping watch for any sign of Liang's troops. They had stashed the mercenary in the sewer tunnel where they'd entered. So far, there was no sign of any kind of pursuit... For now...

Jing still couldn't shake an unease, stemmed mostly from the fear of being back in the village. He had run away so long ago, but now he was back and why...? To stop his father, of course, but why did he volunteer to come back when he knew-_HE KNEW!_-that he was terrified. Seated beside Po's sleeping form was somewhat reassuring but...

"Jing?"

The sound of Po's voice snapped Jing out of his own thoughts. Po, who was still lying beneath Zhen's quilt, was watching him carefully. "I thought you were sleeping."

"It's hard to sleep when we're in the middle of all this," Po answered. He sat upright, looking strangely groggy for having not been asleep. "But it's probably worse for you. I mean, this is your hometown and everything, right?"

"Yeah, but I'm fine, really," Jing insisted.

"Really?"

Jing was about to answer, but he stopped himself. The look on Po's face made him pause and he found himself unable to look directly at him as he started to speak again.

"Yeah, just fine," Jing murmured. "It's just a bit... weird."

"Scary?" Po suggested.

"No!" Jing retorted rapidly.

"It's okay," Po assured him. "I'm kind of freaked out a bit too. I mean"-he started to move closer to Jing-"who wouldn't be?"

"Well, yeah, but..."

Jing trailed off when he felt Po's arm around his shoulder. He was pulled closer until his head was leaning on Po, surprised by the action. But he started to feel the fear in his heart start to waver, giving way to a calmer feeling, a sense of relaxation as his body finally started to unwind. He smiled, feeling as though he could lay there comfortably for hours...

"It'll be okay," Po continued, his voice seemingly from far away and Jing realized that in his relaxation, he was starting to feel a little drowsy. "We'll work together, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Tigress?"

Jing glanced over at her, but she didn't seem like she'd heard. Then, with a closer look, Jing saw that she had actually fallen asleep.

"She's already sleeping," Jing remarked, amused.

"Yeah, think we need some sleep too..."

* * *

"Master Liang, we've had a problem."

Master Liang paused, turning to face three crocs who had approached him. He recognized them almost immediately; his eyes narrowed.

"What kind of a problem?" Liang inquired. "I thought I pay you to _fix_ my problems, not bring me new ones." Then, almost as an afterthought, "Have you found Jing? Is he hurt?"

"We haven't yet found him," the first croc explained, his voice shaking.

Liang's scowl deepened. "Then why are you here when you should be searching?"

"My apologies, sir, but-"

"You," Liang continued, pointing to the second croc. "Take him to be punished... I don't like hearing bad news."

The second croc looked from Liang to the first, then nodded. Instantly, the first croc turned and ran, the second in close pursuit as shouts for forgiveness and help echoed through the empty halls. Liang rubbed the back of his head in irritation.

"What an uncultured, unrefined fool," he grumbled. He turned to the third croc. "Now, what did he come here to tell me?"

The croc flinched and looked down at Liang's feet, unable to gaze unto the cold eyes that glared at him now. "One of the village's guards has disappeared."

"How irritating," Liang huffed. "I'm trying to go to sleep and you're bothering me with bad news. Perhaps you need to be punished as well."

"No, sir, Master Liang," the croc answered in a high-pitched, terrified voice. "I promise that I'll find him."

"I couldn't care less about him. It's just a mercenary. If he returns, punish him. However, my son takes priority. No, I expect to have good results and good news within the next week reported directly to me. If he isn't here by then, I'll be sure to deal with your incompetence."

"Sir...?"

"Was I not clear?" Liang asked. He grabbed the croc's head, forcing it down onto the floor before stomping on it savagely. "You have your orders." Liang lifted his foot. "Get out of my sight..."

* * *

Well, here it is and I hope you like it! Enjoy, review and sorry for lateness. I know how annoying it is to be kept waiting and I apologize profusely.


	15. Chapter 15

Okay, everybody, here's our new chapter! Enjoy, read, review (or not), but I hope you like it.

* * *

Chapter 15—Liang's Palace

"So, this is the passage?" Tigress asked.

It was the crack of dawn, the sun's rays just now filling the sky in shades of red and yellow. They were behind a row of ramshackle homes, Jing having led them there as quickly and quietly as possible. He had punched the ground, revealing the small layer of bricks that had concealed the entrance.

"Yeah, but they've already figured out its here," Jing said in amazement. "Otherwise, they wouldn't have tried to block it."

"Who dug the tunnel?" Po asked.

"It was some thieves who tried to steal from the storeroom," Jing answered. "One of them got away, almost like he vanished in thin air. The other one…" Jing shook his head and dropped into the tunnel. Tigress moved next, then Po, who stumbled slightly.

"It's kind of dark. How're we supposed to find our way there?" Po asked.

"Not scared of the dark, are you?" Jing teased as he started to walk.

"No," Po answered, "but I can't see all the way down there."

"It's a pretty straight shot to the storeroom. There's a ladder that'll lead up into the room," Jing explained. "Just be careful. There's an incline."

After an uncomfortable amount of time in the darkness, Jing had finally found the ladder, reaching awkwardly in the dark for it. Gripping it carefully, he started to speak.

"Okay, guys, keep quiet. This'll lead us into the storeroom through the floor," Jing whispered. "We can't be noticed. If my father finds us—"

"Thanks for the warning, we already understand," Tigress snapped.

They started up the ladder, and Jing pushed up the floor panel above his head. Climbing through the floor, he glared around him, sunlight starting to spill into the room. Tigress climbed out next, then Po, who stared around him in amazement.

From paintings, to statues, to vases and weaponry, the room was filled with what seemed to be an almost random assortment of valuable items. He approached a suit of silver armor, nearly touching it.

"Stop," Jing hissed. Po flinched at the sound of Jing's voice. "Everything in here's booby trapped. Touch anything and we'll get caught. I think the best thing to do is to find my father."

"Okay, where is he?" Po asked, stepping away from the armor.

"Probably on the upper levels," Jing answered. "He regulates the village from his office on the upper levels. My best guess is that he's there right now. If he's not, he's down in the underground prisons, probably torturing his captives." Even as he spoke, his voice started to waver.

"So, what're we going to do?" Tigress inquired.

"Even if he's not in the prisons, the people there still need to be freed," Po remarked.

Jing thought for a moment and was about to speak when Tigress interjected. "We split up. I'll go down to the prison. You two check out the office. You two stay hidden as best you can. If we don't find Liang in either place, we regroup in the tunnel, understood?"

"Got it," Po answered.

Jing nodded numbly. He felt his courage starting to waver, to fail. "O-okay."

"Don't worry," Po said with a small pat on Jing's shoulder. "We'll do stop him."

* * *

Sneaking into the office wasn't as easy as Jing had figured it'd be. The mansion's guards had been increased since he'd left and even as they hurried up the staircases, Jing could hear the sounds of armor and movement around them.

Yet as they reached the office, they still hadn't been seen. They approached the office's closed door and Jing eased it open as carefully as he could. He gazed into the office and scowled; there was nobody there. They entered and Jing exhaled sharply, amazed that he'd even been holding his breath.

"So, he's not here," Po said, walking around Liang's desk to the window behind which overlooked the village. "What if he's in the prisons? We have to warn Tigress!"

"We can't just 'warn' her. We'll have to go down there," Jing stated.

"Wait," Po said just as Jing turned back towards the door. "What's this?"

He was pointing to something beside Liang's desk. Jing's eyes opened in amazement.

"That's my father's sword," Jing answered, staring at the gold-embroidered scabbard. "It's an old family heirloom. It's almost priceless—DON'T—!"

Jing's warning went unheard as Po reached for it, nearly picking it up. As he touched it, a loud click echoed through the room, opening a panel in the door. A large blade slid out from the side of the desk, stabbing Po's leg viciously. Po let out a pained shout and fell, Jing hurrying over and wrenching out the blade.

"I told you not to touch anything," Jing hissed.

"Yes," an icy voice interjected. "You should've listened to the boy."

Jing's breath hitched and his body stiffened as his head turned. Entering the room, flanked by two of his guards, was Liang, a satisfied smirk on his face. The two guards walked in, their weapons pointed directly at Po, who was struggling to stand.

"It's been quite a while, hasn't it, boy?" Liang chortled, brandishing a small dagger with a violet-colored blade. He walked into the room beyond his guards and Jing, almost instinctively, backed away, inching himself away from Liang with every step. "Aw, are you afraid of me, son? That hurts my heart."

"You have to _have_ a heart first!" Po snapped.

Liang glared down at Po, dashing forward rapidly. The dagger plunged into Po's shoulder and Liang dug it as deeply as he could. Po's ear-splitting scream snapped Jing from his paralyzed state-of-mind, causing him to run and attempt to tackle his father. With an almost lazy push, Liang forced him back.

"Don't bother, Jing," Liang snarled. "This dagger's poisoned. Even if I pulled it out, he'd still be dead within the hour." Liang chortled. "It's a specially mixed chemical that I made myself. It stimulates the nerves as it passes through the bloodstream."

"Please, don't kill him!" Jing shouted. "Please! He's the Dragon Warrior, he needs to live!"

"Oh? You made your way to the Valley of Peace and managed to befriend the Dragon Warrior? I'm impressed," Liang remarked, glaring down at Po, who was crying in his attempt to suppress his pained grunt and ragged breath. He twisted the dagger and Po screamed again.

"Stop! Please! Don't kill him!"

"Why shouldn't I? You ran away. Judging by your reaction to the Dragon Warrior, this could be an appropriate punishment for your betrayal and his unwelcome intrusion," Liang stated.

"Please, forgive me!" Jing begged, falling to his knees. He could feel the tears streaming from his eyes, matting down his fur. "I'll do anything!"

Liang, pushing the dagger in deeper, smiled as his son bowed his head.

"Will you swear your loyalty to me, boy?" Liang demanded.

"I will."

"Will you obey my commands and remain here?" Liang asked.

"Yes, father. Please, just don't kill him!"

Liang grinned and walked around his desk, opening a drawer. He pulled out a small vial and went back to Po, pulling the dagger out with an aggressive jerk. Ignoring Po's shout, Liang tossed the vial to Jing, who promptly caught it.

"An antidote to the poison," Liang remarked. "Simply pour it into the wound."

"I know you… You wouldn't just hand me an antidote like that," Jing remarked. He stared at the pinkish liquid inside of the glass vial, scowling. "What's this liquid?"

"That's just an antidote, but there's a side-effect," stated Liang, sitting behind his desk. "It'll save his life, but unfortunately, it'll leave him paralyzed for a few hours. Paralyzed and at my mercy."

"Promise me you won't kill him!" Jing shouted.

"If you don't give him the antidote, he'll die anyway," Liang stated.

Understanding, Jing rushed over to Po, uncorking the vial. He tilted it into the wound, allowing the pink liquid to pour into the stab. Po winced and grunted, shaking in his efforts to keep still. Then, without warning, he fell over, lying on his side on the floor.

"Po!"

"I'm… fine… but I can't…" Po started.

"He can't move," Liang stated, "and he'll be paralyzed for a few hours." He snapped his fingers and his two guards approached Po's inert body. Protectively, Jing stepped between them. "I give you my word that he'll be just fine. They'll take him to a secure room where he'll be safe and kept under watch until I can confirm your loyalty to me."

"Why should I trust you?" Jing snarled.

"I have more poison," Liang stated, brandishing the dagger once more. "And I could just as easily pierce his throat with this dagger. If I do that, the antidote won't save him anyway." Almost absently, he was tossing the dagger into the air playfully. Then, he took aim. "What're you going to do?"

Jing looked between Po and Liang, his body shaking in fear. "Jing," Po breathed, his voice strangely raspy. "Don't do it."

"I don't have a choice, Po," Jing replied. He swallowed hard. "What do I have to do?"

Grinning manically, Liang said, "Unless I'm mistaken, there's another of your… 'friends' here in my mansion. A little kitten in red and black clothes."

"What about her?"

"Kill her for me," Liang said, "and I'll let the Dragon Warrior live. Fail and I'll kill this… Po…"

"Jing!" Po wheezed.

"No! I don't want to kill her!" Jing shouted.

"You don't have a choice. It's her life or his," Liang remarked. "Make your choice…"

* * *

New Chapter! SUSPENSE! And I hope you guys like it. Enjoy!


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16—Jing's Challenge

They were being supervised, but not as carefully as Liang had assumed they'd be. Just as Jing surmised, Liang's own arrogance allowed him to let them be alone enough to talk to each other without fear of being interrupted.

Po's still-paralyzed body was lying on a soft mat beneath an open window, sunlight spilling onto his fur. Jing sat beside Po, shaking slightly as he contemplated what to do. His orders had been clear and his father's own personal guards would be watching to ensure that the orders were carried out.

"Po," Jing breathed, "what am I supposed to do? I can't kill Tigress… But I don't have a choice. If I don't, they'll kill you." Jing got up and started to pace.

"Jing, sit down," Po ordered. Jing looked over at him. Even while he was lying down, Jing could see the strange mixture of disappointment and concern plaguing Po's normally calm face.

"I can't! I'm… terrified! This is insanity! I—"

"Jing!" Po shouted and Jing flinched at Po's irritable tone. Jing walked back over to where Po was lying down and jerked in surprise when he felt Po's hand on his own.

"Is the paralysis wearing off?" Jing asked nervously.

"Just a bit," Po answered. "But you have to warn Tigress. She has to get away and back to the Jade Palace for backup."

"They'll know if I warn her. They'll tell my father and then they'll kill her and you and—!"

The panic was starting to settle in again, but Po's grip on his hand tightened just before he started to get up to pace. Jing's felt tears start to well in his eyes as the enormity of his situation started to fall upon him, his own anxiety beginning to plateau.

"What do I?" he said, hating the shaky weakness of his own voice. "How do I save her?"

"Warn her. Secretly," Po said. "Challenge her to a rematch. She'll fight you and you can warn her during the fight. She's smart enough to know how to escape."

"But what if my father reneges on his end of the deal? He could kill you because she escapes," Jing worried. "I don't want to lose you… I don't think I can—"

"Jing…" Po said and he pulled him close with strength that Jing believed was far beyond him right now. For a brief moment, their lips came together and the world around them evanesced. It was just them here together, the fear and worry abating as Jing allowed himself to enjoy this moment, to remember it completely. He wanted to relive this moment, this feeling, to hold onto it for as long as possible.

But too soon, the moment passed and Jing was looking right into Po's eyes, at his familiar, cocky smile.

"You can handle this. She'll know what to do, just like you will. I trust you."

Jing swallowed and realized he had stopped crying, although he wasn't sure when. He leaned down and kissed Po once more, longer this time, before pulling back. He needed to feel again, just to be sure he hadn't imagined its brief predecessor, to know that the emotions he was feeling right now weren't misplaced and that they were real. Not only were those feelings real, but they were quickly becoming addictive.

"I'll be back soon. I promise."

* * *

This place was a labyrinth and Tigress was getting more than frustrated. How had she ended up in this gaudy throne room, decorated with tacky gold and crimson?

She scoffed as she turned to leave, pausing only when she heard a sound behind her. She turned back, her eyes narrowed intently as she waited.

"Come on out," she called. "I know somebody's there."

She waited a few more seconds and relaxed slightly when she saw Jing emerge. Then, she frowned, seeing him flanked by two of Liang's mercenaries. Her eyes narrowed even further when she saw that he wasn't even restrained in anyway, nor that Po was with him.

"What's going on?" she demanded.

Jing swallowed thickly and spoke in a strangely shaky voice. "I want a rematch. A real test of our kung fu." He took his stance, ready to fight. "You want it too, don't you?"

"You can't be serious! This isn't the time!"

"You don't have a choice. These are my father's orders!"

"Jing!"

"This has to be done!" Jing shouted in a whiny voice. "If I don't…"

And he charged…


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17—Rematch

"WHAT'RE YOU DOING?!" Tigress shouted when Jing charged at her. She blocked each of his attempted blows, just as Jing knew she would. In the back of his mind, he wondered what she was thinking. She had to know he was fighting only halfheartedly, just enough to give a good show. Yet maybe—

A sharp kick to his face sent him reeling. He spat a small droplet of blood out, feeling unsure now. She was smart, undoubtedly, but would she understand what he was trying to convey silently?

"What's this about?" she growled.

"My father's ordered me to kill you," he answered simply, feeling sick as the words spilled from his mouth. "I don't have a choice."

"Traitor!" she bellowed running towards him. He waited until she was close enough, catching her fist and leaning in towards her ear.

"You have to—"

She kicked his stomach, forcing him backwards. Her gaze flitted between him and the guards he had entered with. In the back of his mind, Jing knew she was ready to fight to the end. But she wouldn't fight to the death, would she? There'd be no point to that… right? He barely had time to shake the uncertainty from his mind before she was attacking him again ferociously, with anger he had never witnessed before—her rage might just well rival Liang's.

"Listen," he whispered in her ear when she was closer, but she wasn't going to hear it. Her strikes were getting more accurate, more aimed and he was finding it harder and harder to try to reason with her. This wasn't working…

* * *

"This is strange," said one of the guards, watching the spectacle before him. Certainly, both were masterful in their art—different, but masterful.

"What is?" the second guard inquired.

"Master Liang is almost unmatched as a martial artist, is he not?" the first mused. "He trained the Young Master."

"Yeah, what's your point?"

"If Master Liang really is as powerful as he claims and his son is every bit as skilled, why hasn't he already killed the tiger?" the first suggested. "Shouldn't she already be dead or at least injured?"

"Maybe he likes to play with his food first."

"Maybe he needs help."

"We have our orders. We can't help him."

* * *

"Tigress!" Jing hissed, catching her hand once more. "You have to listen to me!"

"Why should I?" she shouted much louder than Jing had hoped she'd be. She pushed him back and leapt. Acting reflexively, Jing struck, his two fingers striking her right shoulder. A small wave of light rushed down her arm, paralyzing it. He hadn't meant to—the reaction had happened almost subconsciously.

With her arm paralyzed, she quickly turned, using her leg to kick. Jing caught her leg and leaned in close once more. "Po's hurt!"

"And it's probably your fault," she snapped, using her leg to force him down. She stood over him with her foot on his chest, leaning down with her claws ready. Even with one arm limp, Jing had never been so afraid of an opponent. She was prepared to kill, ready to finish him off.

* * *

"She'll kill him if we don't help, Quan," the first guard insisted, armament ready to fight.

"Just wait, Zhao," the second guard, Quan, insisted. "I want to see how this plays out."

"Quan!"

"He's not trying to kill her," Quan surmised. "The way he's fighting, he's playing around with her. He's not trustworthy and Master Liang knows this. Yet he's allowing this fight to happen. Either he's hoping his son will end up dead or that she'll escape. Either way, I want to see what the master's plan is."

"And if his son gets killed."

"Then so be it. It's his fault for not following orders."

* * *

He was about to die…

She was going to kill him…

She…

"Where is he?" she growled.

"Upstairs in a room by Liang's office. He's being guarded. I was told to kill you or they'll kill him. You need to get reinforcements."

"I should destroy you for this betrayal."

"I'm not a traitor."

She struck and Jing flinched, but the fist did not strike him. She pulled back just as rapidly as she had attacked and Jing tilted his head slightly, narrowing his eyes to slits. She pulled away from him and dashed towards a nearby window, jumping outside and out-of-sight. Jing closed his eyes, praying he was a good actor as the two guards approached. Quan hefted him to his feet while Zhao rushed to the window.

"She's getting away!" Zhao said.

"Let her go," Quan suggested. "We've got another business to tend to."

* * *

"You failed," Liang noted when Jing was returned to the office. Out of the corner of his eye, Jing could see Po, restrained, bound, and gagged in a corner of the room, two more guards with spears flanking him. Swallowing a feeling of sickness in his throat, Jing forced himself to focus on his father. "You let her go."

"I underestimated her. But she'll be back."

"With others," Liang continued. "That's problematic. I ordered you to kill her."

"I'm sorry. I swear, when she returns, I'll—"

A knife, thrown with expert precision, soared through the air, piercing Jing's shoulder and drawing blood. Jing was about to sink to one knee when Quan pulled him back up, looking smug. With a sadistic smile, Quan twisted the knife before pulling it out, Jing doing his absolute hardest not to shout, not to scream. But Po was extremely vocal, shouting angrily around the gag and fighting against his bonds. One of the spearmen brought the spear's tip to Po's neck and Po, very reluctantly, calmed himself.

"Consider that your punishment," Liang said as the knife was returned to him. "You know I hate to do that, but I have to as a parent."

Jing didn't reply.

"So, you've nothing to say for yourself?"

"I'm sorry. I'll do better… But…"

"But what?"

"Po… Can you at least untie him?" Jing asked.

Liang chortled loudly. "I think not. It's not very often I have a prize like the Dragon Warrior as decoration in my office. I rather like it."

"But—"

"If I untie him, how can I trust that he won't escape?"

"He won't!" Jing insisted. "I swear! He won't run away or cause trouble! I can promise that!"

For the first time, Liang looked uncertain. His eyes narrowed as he regarded both Jing and Po, before understanding began to dawn. "Ah… How romantic." Quan chortled. "Take them both to a holding cell. I'll be in later to deal with this. In the meantime, keep the door locked and guards outside. And just for security."

His grip on the knife, still dripping with Jing's blood, loosened as it flicked out again, imbedding itself in Po's leg. "That'll keep him secure."

* * *

This is weird. I normally can't stand the sight of blood (ironic considering how often I've been hurt with some pretty bad injuries) but it just seemed to fit... Huh...

Well, hope you enjoy


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